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Creating an Inclusive Society: Practical Strategies to Promote Social Integration

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Creating an Inclusive Society: Practical Strategies to Promote Social Integration Creating an Inclusive Society: Practical Strategies to Promote Social Integration DESA 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Definition of key terminology .......................................................................................................................................3 CHAPTER ONE: A VISION FOR AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY.........................................4 I. Introduction...............................................................................................................................................................4 II. Creating an Inclusive Society .............................................................................................................................8 What is meant by an inclusive society?......................................................................................................................8 Elements necessary for creating an inclusive society ................................................................................................8 Understanding social inclusion.................................................................................................................................11 III MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION..........................................................17 Key areas for social inclusion and exclusion ...........................................................................................................17 Key Groups to be included: Who is marginalized?..................................................................................................21 IV. APPROACHES TO PROMOTING SOCIAL INCLUSION...........................................................................29 Removing the obstacles to social inclusion..............................................................................................................30 Inclusive policy fraework .........................................................................................................................................33 Costs and benefits of social inclusion.......................................................................................................................37 V. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................................38 CHAPTER TWO: ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN PROMOTING SOCIAL INCLUSION AND PARTICIPATION..............................................................................42 I. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................42 II. Challenges and opportunities for local governments in promoting social inclusion and combating social exclusion...................................................................................................................................44 Challenges facing local governments.......................................................................................................................44 III. Promoting Social Inclusion at the local level .............................................................................................47 IV. Good initiatives which promote social inclusion at the local level...................................................................52 V. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................................60 Annex I: Compilation of existing approaches to capture, analyze and measure the multiple dimensions of social inclusion and other related concepts...............................................................................................................62 References and resources:...........................................................................................................................................63 Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................................63 2 Definition of key terminology While there is no single agreed understanding of the key terminology, social integration, social inclusion, social cohesion and social participation, the following definitions are used in this publication. Social Integration Social integration is understood as a dynamic and principled process of promoting the values, relations and institutions that enable all people to participate in social, economic, cultural and political life on the basis of equality of rights, equity and dignity. It is the process in which societies engage in order to foster societies that are stable, safe and just – societies that are based on the promotion and protection of all human rights, as well as respect for and value of dignity of each individual, diversity, pluralism, tolerance, non-discrimination, non-violence, equality of opportunity, solidarity, security, and participation of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons. Social Inclusion For Part I of the publication, social inclusion is understood as a process by which efforts are made to ensure equal opportunities for all, regardless of their background, so that they can achieve their full potential in life. It is a multi-dimensional process aimed at creating conditions which enable full and active participation of every member of the society in all aspects of life, including civic, social, economic, and political activities, as well as participation in decision- making processes. In Part II of the publication, social inclusion is understood as the process by which societies combat poverty and social exclusion Social Exclusion Social exclusion is understood as the condition (barriers and process) that impede social inclusion. Social exclusion is a process through which individuals or groups are wholly or partially excluded from fully participating in all aspects of life of the society, in which they live, on the grounds of their social identities, such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture or language, and/or physical, economic, social disadvantages. Social exclusion may mean the lack of voice, lack of recognition, or lack of capacity for active participation. It may also mean exclusion from decent work, assets, land, opportunities, access to social services and/or political representation. Social Cohesion Social cohesion refers to the elements that bring and hold people together in society. In a socially cohesive society all individuals and groups have a sense of belonging, participation, inclusion, recognition and legitimacy. Social cohesive societies are not necessarily demographically homogenous. Rather, by respecting diversity, they harness the potential residing in their societal diversity (in terms of ideas, opinions, skills, etc.). Therefore, they are less prone to slip into destructive patterns of tension and conflict when different interests collide. Social Participation Social participation is understood as the act of engaging in society's activities. It refers to the possibility to influence decisions and have access to decision-making processes. Social participation creates mutual trust among individuals, which forms the basis for shared responsibilities towards the community and society. 3 Chapter One: A Vision for an Inclusive Society I. Introduction The World Summit for Social Development, held in March 1995, established the concept of social integration to create an inclusive society, “a society for all”, as one of the key goals of social development. The Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, a key outcome of the Summit, pledged to make the eradication of poverty, full employment and social integration overriding objectives of development. Member states made a commitment1 to promote social integration through fostering inclusive societies that are stable, safe, just and tolerant, and respect diversity, equality of opportunity and participation of all people, including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and persons (See table 1). Following the Copenhagen Declaration, significant policy commitments were made in the Millennium Declaration (2000), adopted at the Millennium Summit in September 2000. The Millennium Declaration subsumes social integration in its synthesis of peace, security, development and human rights,2 and further embodies social inclusion principles as well as the objectives and goals set out in the Copenhagen Declaration. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which is considered to be the most ambitious framework for development with specific targets and indicators to monitor the progress, were derived from the agreements adopted at the World Summits and Conferences organized by the United Nations in the previous decade, including the World Summit for Social Development. Specifically, MDGs contains one of the objectives of the Social Summit, “poverty eradication” which was designated as the MDG Goal 1 - Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (see Annex XX). The process of social integration also serves an important part in achieving the goal of sustainable development, particularly in view of the direct and indirect impacts to be brought by ongoing climate change and food insecurity on the most vulnerable populations. In the realization that a broad development vision and commonly agreed objectives arising from the United Nations conferences and summits were not comprehensively addressed in the
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